Meet the Mobile Web: “Believe it or not, more people have access to mobile devices than desktop computers. Many handhelds can access the Internet, including cell phones, Palm handhelds, Pocket PCs, Nintendo DS’s, and Sony PSPs.”
And you can now add the new iPod Touch to the list for mobile access. In terms of education use – the biggest complaint I’ve heard about mobile phones and PDAs for learning focus on the small screen size. The assumption being that people don’t want to do much small screen reading or browsing. True, we’ve had some issue with screen sizes, but it’s a concern that’s changing with larger screens on blackberry’s, iphones, etc. I see it more as a technology trade off. We’ll accept small screens in order for access. We also accept some sloppiness in wikipedia for access.
See also mobile use in classrooms and examples of well-designed mobile sites.
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6 Comments
Interesting read George…hmmmm…I wonder…who is it doing the complaining about screensize? ;o)
Hi Marg – complaints about screen size generally come from faculty…or those who are accustomed to laptop/desktop as primary mode of internet access. I was just in a meeting yesterday where a director was lamenting accessing the internet with his treo. “It’s too small” is the complaint. But, when you think of it, we similarly had issues with Instant messaging. “Why not just call them”. It’s the small affordances that seem to appeal to many younger learners…
But wouldn’t screen size also limit the type of information available? I would like to know more about how these devices are being used and in what contexts. For example, is it possible to access sufficient information for decision making? I know also that there currently is a debate about making wireless connections open outside of the owner’s networks. The US supreme court’s more recent ruling did not open up the networks, but they also did not close them. The implications are that cell phone users at this point only have access to services and sites with which the telephone company has contracts (similar to cable TV) rather than to others outside of the system such as google and utube if there are no deals in place (no public broadcasting). What does this do to accessibility to information?
Hi Virginia – you raise good points – particularly in relation to how open the networks are…and the “hidden contracts” behind access to information. That’s a real concern for not only mobile access, but the internet itself.
The point you make about the type of information that can be accessed by mobile is important. Currently, big files (media, movies) don’t download well onto mobile phones (without the rather painful costs attached unless the files are first downloaded to a computer and then synch’d). With iPod Touch’s wifi access, that may be less of a concern (as well as a slightly larger screen size). But web designers still need to be very conscious of the experience of most mobile browsers – which is why, when you access a site by mobile, you encounter mainly text (images are stripped away so it will download more rapidly). While concerns are still many, opportunity is growing…and barriers are being eliminated.
Take care,
George
I’m with you George! What mobile devices offer is a better approach to take in addressing the potential (rather than impediments) of these devices.
By far it is the connectivity these devices afford that I think are their most strongest element still.
Virginia, Your questions are good ones, however, I’d like to rephrase your first qu: how does a small screen force us to reflect on how we currently view information (not just as a viewer/viewing device but as an approach or an assumption)?
Accessibility is also a good qu, but again we need to be mindful of big qu like this; one’s definition of accessibility may differ from another’s. But certainly aiming for universal design and standards is a great starting point!
You might like to check out the Australian VET sectors standards report on mobile learning – how does this help to move in that direction do you think?
Cheers,
Marg
Screen size is an issue if you want to access existing web sites on a mobile web browser.
For example, Unyverse http://www.unyverse.com
is providing a new Wikipedia access, optimized for small screen, and you can read the entire article content on small screen, change font size, scrolll page by page. Download speed on GPRS network is very good.
It works on any Java and Windows Mobile phone and it is free.